KIM JORDAN

Photo of Kim Jordan by Siobhan Bradshaw Photography at The Jazz Cafe in London

Interview by Alexander McLean(February 2018)

A Detroit native and Howard University graduate whose family had a background in music, spanning classical to the church to R&B, is someone who would probably impress you. But what if you also found out that she spent over three decades (on and off) as the band leader for one of the most important soul artists of the '70's and beyond as well as one of the most important blues artists of the last 50 years? Kim Jordan has all of the as part of her CV, making music with Gil-Scott Heron, Taj Mahal and on her own.

In this multi-part video interview, she talks about her background (including what she learned from her musician-mom), the terrible accident that nearly ended her career, working with GSH (even when he was in jail) and Taj, her pride in being an award-winning 'one hit wonder' (with Pure Soul's "We Must Be In Love") and how she's still helping to bring GSH's music to a new generation. As she says, GSH was 'a voice for the people.'